Many beverages like espresso and other coffee beverages, milk beverages, chocolate beverages, . . . are often prepared by dosing and mixing a food soluble powder with a diluent. According to one type of beverage preparation machine the food soluble powder is stored in a non disposable canister that is part of the machine and that is regularly refilled. For the refilling operation the canister is pulled out of the machine, its top is opened and powder is empty inside.
For machines preparing various beverages like e.g. coffee and milk and chocolate and tea, several canisters must be regularly refilled and it takes time to carry out the refilling of all the containers. Yet this refilling operation must be as short as possible because the dispenser is not operable for producing beverages during that time.
Once the operator has refilled one container with a powder it is also often important that the operator always replaces the same container at the same place in the dispenser. Actually in most of the machines, the containers contain dosing means (e.g. screw or spring auger at the bottom of the container) and dosing means are activated differently by the machine motors depending on the nature of the powder inside the container. Moreover each dosing means generally delivers a dose of powder to a mixer or whipper that is specifically configured for mixing or whipping that powder—e.g. a whipper for a coffee powder is differently configured from a whipper for a milk powder. If the operator does not correctly place the different containers in the machine, the beverages will not be correctly prepared and it will affect their taste.
One aim of the present invention is to solve these problems and to propose a beverage dispenser comprising several beverage powder containers that can be easily and rapidly refilled without mistake by the operator.